Pcters



'(No Model.)

L. P. TOOLEY.

' REIN GUARD IOR HARNESS. No. 879,186. Patented-Mar. 6, 1888.

N; PETERS. HMO-Lithographer. Wnhingicn. n. c

LOGAN P. 'IOOLEY, OF WILLOW, CALIFORNIA.

RElN-GUARD FOR HARNESS.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,186, dated March 6, 1888.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOGAN P. TOOLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Willow, in the county of Colusa and State of Oalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tail-Pieces and ReinGuards for Horses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates especially to rein guards for the tails of horses and other domestic draft-animals, and has for its object the production of a device wherein many of the parts heretofore necessary in articles of this class may be dispensed with, rendering the tail-pieces much cheaper in construetiomeasier to use, and much more effective than those heretofore employed.

To attain this end my invention consists, essentially, in a strap of leather or other flexible material connected to the under side of the cross-brace of the shaft or pole of a vehicle.

To the end of this strap is connected a small Y pulley, through which a cord is passed having a clamp connected to each end, which engages with the hairs of the animals tail at opposite points and prevems the animal from getting control of either or both reins with his tail. By such a construction, when the long hairs of the tail are engaged by the clamps, a sufficient play is permitted to enable the animal to switch his tail to the right or left or upward, but not to a sufficient height to engage with the reins,or either of them, and the connection of the clamps will be scarcely felt, and in no case will the animal be frightened by such an attachment, as in other devices where the tail of the animal is bodily engaged or hampered by a strap.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure l is a side view of my tail-pieces an d rein guard for horses in position. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view.

Like letters of reference, wherever they occur, indicate corresponding parts in both ligures.

A is a strap fastened to the under side of the reach or cross-bar B of the t-hills or pole of a vehicle, the outer end of which is provided with a buckle which receives the tail-piece strap 0, made adjustable by the take-up holes a a thereon. To the end of the strap Ois connected a small grooved pulley, D, operating in the end of the metal straps riveted to the end of the leather strap 0. Through the opening between the metal strap and end of theleather strap is passed a small cord, E, to both ends of which is connected a spring-clamp, F. The inner faces of these clamps are serrated 0r grooved, so that when they engage with the hair of the tail of the animal they will not easily slip off or become detached. A packing or lining of indie-rubber or other elastic and yielding material is preferable, however, as the pressure of the bare metal of the jaws of the clamp upon the hair may have a tendency to bite or sever it when tightly clamped by the clamping-rings I) 1). Small holes (I d are made in the jaws of the spring clamps, through which small pins are inserted for riv eting the packing to the face of the jaws.

In practice one clamp is made to engage with the hair on one side of the tail and the other clamp on the other side of the tail of the animal, engaging a sufficient number of strands to hold the clamps firmly when the clampingrings are pushed forward upon the jaws, thus connecting the tail with the cord and permitting the animal to switch his tail from side to side, the cord moving in the pulley at the end of the strap, without, however, giving sufficieut freedom of movement to engage the reins on either side.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In atail-piece and rein-guard, the combination of a strap connected to the vehicle and provided at its outer end with a pulley, a cord passing around said pulley, as shown, and clamps secured to the ends of said cord and adapted to grasp the hair of the tail, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a tail-piece and rein-guard, the combination of the adjustably-connected straps A and O, the former of which is attached to the vehicle, while the strap 0 is provided at its outer end with a pulley, D, the cord E, passing around said pulley, as shown, and the clamps F F, secured to theends of said cord E, and consisting of jaws adapted to grasp the hair of the animals tail, all substantially as described.

In tcstimonythat claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

LOGAN P. 'IOOLEY. [L s] \Vitnesses: V

W. G. BAYLOR, GEO. WV. FREEMAN. 

